Proposal for the New National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) landscape

“Proposal for the New National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) landscape within the context of an Integrated and Differentiated Post-School Education and Training System (NSLP-2015)”

The DHET – Department of Higher Education and Training has called for public comments on the future of skills development in South Africa. Minister Blade Nzimande has released his proposals for the Setas and members of the public and interested organisations have until 20th January 2016 to submit their comments.

The proposals is that the Setas would be renamed and re-purposed so that they would become departments of the national Department of Higher Education and Training and renamed as Sector Education and Training Advisory Boards. It is also proposted that instead of their current 5-year life spans as determined by the relevant Minister, the proposal is that these Setabs (!) would be permanent structures.

This new move could suggest that DHET have more power over the SETA’s having questions over the future role of SAQA and the QCTO. One of the other major benefits for DHET would be to have more control over the Skills Levies Fund that could result in major issues for the private sector including skills training on lower levels, also the future of private FET colleges and Training Providers.

During 2013 with the amendment of the Skills Act the allocation of funds to levy paying organisations was reduced from 60% to 20% that resulted in an estimated 40% drop in training statistics between the SETA’s in South Africa. This year, DHET excluded annual training statistics from the different SETA’s in the DHET annual report. Why? Is this part of a cover-up process or a simple strategic move to change the allocation of the Skills Levies Fund to other priorities.

Another change in the 2013 Skills Development Act allowed the DHET to allocate more funds paid by the private sector to Universities and FET’s. Would this last move from DHET mean that Skills Development South Africa especially in the private sector would come to a total stand-still?

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